The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers submitted 144 WARN Act notices in September 2008, putting at risk an estimated 19,842 workers — up substantially from August and up 31% versus September 2007. Filings came from 19 states and territories, with an average of 138 workers per notice.
| State | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 20 | 3,006 |
| New Jersey | 13 | 2,781 |
| New York | 11 | 2,232 |
| Texas | 15 | 2,026 |
| Ohio | 9 | 1,660 |
| Florida | 15 | 1,372 |
| Missouri | 7 | 1,190 |
| Michigan | 9 | 1,107 |
| Kentucky | 8 | 700 |
| Washington DC | 3 | 659 |
| Indiana | 5 | 599 |
| Pennsylvania | 6 | 588 |
| Alabama | 3 | 565 |
| Arizona | 6 | 392 |
| Maryland | 5 | 364 |
| Iowa | 3 | 362 |
| Washington | 3 | 153 |
| Kansas | 2 | 86 |
| California | 1 | 0 |
Georgia led the nation with 3,006 workers affected across 20 notices , followed by New Jersey (2,781 workers) and New York (2,232 workers) .
| Industry | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 13 | 2,639 |
| Other | 17 | 1,708 |
| Finance & Insurance | 14 | 1,554 |
| Accommodation & Food | 4 | 677 |
| Retail | 5 | 604 |
| Information & Technology | 4 | 539 |
| Transportation | 2 | 302 |
| Healthcare | 2 | 176 |
| Government | 2 | 87 |
| Professional Services | 1 | 63 |
The Manufacturing sector emerged as the hardest-hit sector with 2,639 workers across 13 notices. Separately, Other reported 1,708 workers.
| Type | Notices | Workers |
|---|---|---|
| Closure | 39 | 5,958 |
| Layoff | 24 | 2,556 |
Closures accounted for 30% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.
| Company | Location | Workers | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newark Morning Ledger | Newark, New Jersey | 1,657 | |
| Norwalk Furniture Corporation | Norwalk, Ohio | 497 | |
| Amalgamated Life | New York, New York | 466 | Closure |
| US House of Representatives | Washington DC | 456 | Layoff |
| Dmax | Moraine, Ohio | 355 | |
| Tower Automotive | Traverse City, Michigan | 347 | Closure |
| Kaz Incorporated | Hudson, New York | 337 | Closure |
| Verizon Wireless | St. Louis, Missouri | 333 | Closure |
| Bill Heard | Columbus, Georgia | 333 | |
| Castleberry's | Augusta, Georgia | 327 |
Topping the list was Newark Morning Ledger in Newark, New Jersey, reporting 1,657 affected workers. Norwalk Furniture Corporation followed with 497 workers.
After a dip last month, layoff activity has ticked back up.
These figures highlight mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.
This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in September 2008. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by WARN Firehose. Download the full dataset or explore state-by-state data.
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